Only If!

He seems to like to annoy people. The Chinese will not be fond of him. The Japanese not happy with his approach to trade. Closer to home, he has had a go at the Obama’s and the Oscars.

Even the usually measured and restrained Danes are, “annoyed and surprised” at Mr Trump's antics after he pitched a deal at them to buy Greenland.

Greenland is not a country but is instead an autonomous constituent territory of Denmark. Greenland, along with the Faroe Islands, though independent and with home governments, are considered part of mainland Denmark, and have been for quite some time.

Physically it is close to North America and is rich in minerals with a tiny population of only 56,000, closer to a small village rather than the world’s largest island.

Mette Frederiksen is the Danish Prime Minister and it was her comment (“annoyed and surprised”) in Copenhagen that caused Mr Trump to cancel his trip to the country, which was an official visit.

Frederiksen said the offer was absurd, Mr Trump said I’m not coming to see you anymore, in a petulant yet certainly in character retort, (toys out of the pram moment if I ever I heard one).

There are many occasions when we get asked by our counterparts for something we think is absurd. One option is to tell them that. Another is to let them discover it for themselves!

If Frederiksen had said to Trump “Pay me £1,000 billion and give us jurisdiction over Florida and we can consider your deal” I wonder what his response would have been!

Well, actually I can guess. He would have said that is ridiculous.

Of course, sometimes we get asked for things which are difficult to give, sometimes it’s not about a trade, is about a point of principle, but add to your armoury the concept of putting a price on the demands that the other side make, and you may never have to say no again.

Certainly worth thinking about.

Alan Smith

(Thanks to my Pal, Mentor and Sage Noel Penrose for suggesting this as a topic)

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About the author:

Alan Smith
My background is marketing and advertising. After graduating in Economics I entered the agency world to become, at 28, MD of London's largest independent below-the-line marketing provider.

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Much of the behaviour in the House of Commons this week and last will be viewed by historians as insane, confused, unprecedented and outrageous. But for me, the most bizarre was a short statement last Tuesday afternoon from Sir Desmond Swayne, Conservative MP for New Forest West. When called by the Speaker he stood up and asked the Prime Minister the following question: